Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge
Vol. 4(1), January 2005, pp. 65-71
Apatani paddy-cum-fish cultivation: An indigenous hill farming
system of North East India
S C Rai
G B Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, North East Unit, Vivek Vihar,
Itanagar-791113, Arunachal Pradesh
E-mail: [email protected]
Received 24 May 2004; revised 11October 2004
The tribal communities of North East India have paddy-cum-fish farming along with shifting cultivation (Jhum).
Paddy-cum-fish cultivation is practiced mainly by Apatanis, a progressive agricultural community of Arunachal Pradesh.
The Apatani version of paddy cultivation is one of the most advanced cultivation practices. The main advantage from the
practice is that, the land gives sustained yield year after year, unlike the Jhum system, that is under cropping only once in a
few years of fallow interval, depending upon the Jhum cycle. The economic and energy efficiency of this agro-ecosystem is
exceptionally high and rice is exported after meeting local needs. Rain fed cultivation of millet and mixed cropping
contributes toward meeting the diverse needs of the people. Mithun, Swine and poultry husbandry are an important link with
agro-ecosystems. Therefore, an understanding of this agro-ecosystem function becomes significant and it offers
opportunities for redevelopment with additional scientific inputs.
Keywords: Agro-ecosystem, Arunachal Pradesh, Indigenous knowledge, Land management, Wet-rice cultivation, Jhum
cultivation
IPC Int. Cl.7: A01G16/00, A01G25/00, A01G61/00, A01G63/00
The tribal communities of North East region largely
depend upon diverse agricultural practices ranging
from a variety of shifting agriculture systems, fallow
systems, home gardens and sedentary system such as
wet-rice cultivation1,2. Ingenious indigenous farming
systems developed by these tribal societies with long
history and traditions are often energy efficient, and at
the same time provide high economic returns to the
farmers. The Apatanis of North East India, who
practice only sedentary agriculture in the form of
paddy-cum-fish cultivation in the valley lands, have
elegantly linked this sedentary agricultural system
with animal husbandry comprised of mithun (Bos
frontalis Lam.), cattle, swine, and poultry. There is no
reference of slash and burn (Jhum) cultivation in
Apatani mythology. The practice of the terrace-wetrice cultivation began with Abotani, the earliest
ancestor of the Apatanis. The agriculture of the
Apatanis is thus not only of interest, as the basis of an
economy different from that of all surrounding
population, but it provides an example of highly
evolved indigenous farming systems. Therefore, an
understanding of this hill agro-ecosystem function of
the Apatanis becomes significant.
The North eastern region of India lies between
21°57′ and 29°28′N and 89°40′ and 97°25′E,
comprising seven states namely, Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and
Tripura. Recently Sikkim has also been included in
this region. The North East region is home to about 39
million people from over 100 tribal groups. The State
of Arunachal Pradesh is a mosaic of composite
culture and tradition, having an area of about 83743
km2 with a population of 10,91,117. Apatani valley in
Lower Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh lies
between Panior and Kamla rivers at an altitude of
1524 m. The tranquil valley originally consisted of
seven large villages, viz. Hong, Biila, Dutta, Hija,
Hari, Mudang-Tage and Michi-Bamin with 25000
persons (Fig. 1). Opposite village are the paddy fields,
terrace after terrace following each other in
uninterrupted succession (Fig. 2). The Apatani, a
progressive agricultural community of Arunachal
Pradesh has their own indigenous knowledge on land
management. In Apatani valley, about 48.38% land is
under paddy-cum-fish cultivation, followed by
32.64% clan forest, 16.41% bamboo forest and 2.75%
home garden.
The Apatanis with a highly developed valley
cultivation of paddy perfected over centuries has often
been suggested to be one of the relatively advanced
tribal societies in the North eastern region of India3.
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INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 4, No. 1, JANUARY 2005
Apatanis have evolved sedentary agriculture, chiefly
in the form of wet rice cultivation in their extensive
valley lands, using indigenous techniques. Their
system of Aji cultivation, using a combination of
paddy and fish together with millet on the bunds
separating each plot, is thought to be one of the most
productive and efficient agricultural systems of the
region4. In this system, a small pit is dug in each
terrace in a series of terraces where paddy is grown.
Fingerlings are put in water in these pits. When water
supply is sufficient in monsoon season, the whole
paddy field is kept under shallow submergence of 5 to
10 cm and fishes come out of the pits and move
around the whole submerged area of the terrace field.
During water scarcity period, when water remains
only in the pits, fishes run back to the pits and grow.
In this system, fishes get better nutrition due to
manuring of paddy fields and their growth is better
due to availability larger surface area during full
submergence of paddy fields. Thus, both paddy and
fishes are produced together by proper management
of rainwater.
The terrace paddy field is classified as Jebi, Aane,
Ditor in accordance with availability of natural and
artificial water supply. Ditor is fully dependent upon
the irrigated water supply and the first two types of
fields may have sufficient water supply from natural
and rain water. The paddy-cum-fish agro-ecosystems
of the Apatanis, like those of other tribes, is also
dependent upon nutrient wash-out from the hill
slopes. The house and granary sites are located on the
higher level from the cultivated fields so that decayed
and decomposed substances can easily be drained out
to field. It is a good system from the hygienic point of
views on one side and on the other side, the
decomposed substances serve as good manure, which
it helps yield of bumper crops of paddy. Recycling
crop residues and use of organic wastes of the village
for sustaining soil fertility, as also done by the
Apatanis is an effective way of restoring soil fertility.
Nearby the house and granary sites, the big plots are
carefully tended by means of bamboo and pine groves
and these bamboo and pinewood protect the soil
erosion and landslide (Fig. 3). Nutrient wash-out from
the hill slopes during the rains helps to sustain soil
fertility, considerable quantities of nutrient are lost
during harvesting5,6. The Apatanis, by both recycling
crop residues and using the organic wastes of the
village effectively sustain soil fertility7. The Apatanis,
RAI: PADDY-CUM-FISH CULTIVATION PRACTICES OF NORTH EAST
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INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 4, No. 1, JANUARY 2005
RAI: PADDY-CUM-FISH CULTIVATION PRACTICES OF NORTH EAST
however, recognize the need for preserving the
fertility of the soil, and expand a great amount of
energy on manuring. Throughout the winter and
spring months, from the end of the harvest until the
time for transplanting, women and men are to be seen
daily carrying baskets of rice chaff, pig and chicken
droppings, ashes and kitchen refuse to heap on their
fields. If the yield of a field has not been upto
standard, an Apatanis will carry out improvements
before the next sowing season: divide a large field
perhaps not perfectly watered into two terraces or
conversely turn two terraces into one, gaining thereby
the space of the dividing dam. For all such earth
works as well as the repairing of embankments and
the leveling of fields the Apatani shifts the soil from
one area to another on large flat wooden trays, that are
easily dragged over the slimy surface of the partially
flooded ground.
The weeding of the paddy fields is done with great
thoroughness, permanently flooded terraces are
weeded two or three times and terraces less amply
watered as much as five times. Millet is weeded
twice, and women too do this with their bamboo hoes.
Usually, millet is separately cultivated on the dry land
called Yapyo and on the bunds of field (Fig. 4).
Economic value
With highly developed paddy-cum-fish cultivation,
the Apatani economy is largely based upon
agriculture alone. The arable land of the valley is
enough and full of natural abundant soil, which result
in yielding of crops every year. The agricultural
operation is fully dependent upon the human
labourers, not animal traction (ploughing). The paddy
fields closer to the settlements were nutritionally
richer than those farther away. The Apatani
communities make effective use of their irrigated land
by planting early and late ripening varieties of paddy.
Early variety is sown farther away from the village
where disturbance by animals and poor irrigation
facilities could be major constraints. Closer to the
village where conditions are more favourable, late
variety is preferred. Fish culture done here
synchronizes well with late ripening paddy variety.
Further, paddy is supplemented with Eleusine
coracana Gaertn. cultivated on elevated partition
bunds between the rice plots. The early varieties of
paddy had higher density but reduced basal area
compared to the late varieties. Economic yield per
plant and per unit area of the early varieties was
significantly lower than the late varieties. The yield
69
per hectare of Eleusine coracana grown on the
partition bunds of paddy plots was high in plots with
early varieties than in those with late varieties.
Based on farming systems performance, Apatani
paddy-cum-fish agro-ecosystem is highly productive
(400-500 kg ha−1), 3 to 4 time of the average yield of
the paddy in the state, economically viable, cost of
cultivation being low with minimal external inputs
making it a highly organic agriculture. The economic
and energy efficiencies and the input/output ratio for
individual crops are given in Table 1. With high
labour, the input total for paddy + millet was higher.
Inputs include only labour, organic manure and seeds;
draft animal power is not used. However, the output
from the system and the net return to the farmer was
higher under paddy + millet + fish combination than
paddy alone or with paddy + millet. The input/output
ratios are also high in paddy + millet + fish than other
two systems.
Widening plots by digging adjacent higher ground
down to an irrigable level seems to be successful
responses to population increase and new market
opportunities. The net per capita monetary return
through agriculture is high. As much as 40% of the
rice produced is sold to the neighboring tribes such as
Nyshi and the hill Miris. However, the agroecosystem of the Apatanis could be improved through
appropriate crop rotation and productive utilization of
Table 1—Energy (MJ ha−1 yr−1) and monetary (Rs ha−1 yr−1)
input/output pattern of paddy-cum-fish agro-ecosystem of
Apatanis in northeast India1
Production measures
Input total
Paddy
Paddy+millet
Paddy+millet+fish
Labour
Paddy
Millet
Fish
Organic manure
Seed
Paddy
Millet
Fish
Output total
Paddy
Paddy+millet
Paddy+millet+fish
Input: Output
Paddy
Paddy + Millet
Paddy + Millet + Fish
Agro-ecosystems
Energy
Monetary
875.5
908.10
906.6
2579
2675
2753
741
31.5
36
125
2250
91.5
102
250
9.5
1.1
0.4
79
4
100
61325.5
63218
68182
8272
8460
10062
70.05
69.62
75.21
3.20
3.16
3.65
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INDIAN J TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, VOL 4, No. 1, JANUARY 2005
the land during the winter season. Inspite of these
possibilities, the Apatani village ecosystem is a good
example of economic self-sufficiency of a traditional
agricultural society that practices ecologically sound
sedentary agriculture in the north-east region of India.
Ecological sustainability
Apart from its high income value, this system
provides an example of a high degree of ecological
efficiency too. Land management practices revealed
that terraces in the main valley are quite broad,
perfectly leveled and provided with strong bunds.
These bunds are made up of soil and supported by
bamboo or a wooden chip at base, if the height of
riser is more, there is a chance of erosion due to
runoff. The size of bunds varies from 0.6 to 1.4 m in
breadth and 0.2 to 0.6 m in height depending on the
gradient of land and the size and shape of terraces.
Perfect leveling of plots and well managed irrigation
cum drainage channels, reduce the soil erosion to a
negligible level. Plot size varies from 235 m2 to 2740
m2 and the size reduces towards the hills.
The Apatani tribal people have also developed an
efficient system of water management for paddy and
fish culture that has remained sustainable for
centuries. The system involves people’s participation
for common works and the available water of natural
streams is used judiciously in a planned manner for
crop production. All streams coming out of
surrounding hills are taped at the beginning of the
valley, channelised and diverted through a network of
primary, secondary and tertiary channels to paddy
fields. At a short distance above the terraces, some
water is allowed to flow in the first feeder channel
through a diversion, while the stream continues on its
course. The feeder channel branches of at angles to
lead water to any terraced paddy field which can be
flooded or drained as per need by blocking or opening
of connecting ducts known as Huburs (Fig. 5). The
cross section of the main and sub-channels vary in
depth and width as per load of water. These channels
are pitched with locally available stones and boulders
especially at the entry point for checking erosion due
to flow of water. By adjusting the height of the outlet
pipes, the water level in the rice field is maintained. A
10 cm water table is maintained in the plot by
adjusting the height of outlet bamboo pipes. The
excess water from the fields is drained into the Kale
river, which flows through the middle of the valley.
The channel for irrigation also carries a lot of natural
fertilizers of rotten leaves from the wooded land to the
fields. The Apatnais with cooperative effort under the
overall supervision of the village headman have
optimized water use along with nutrient use in their
paddy field.
The Future Development
The Apatani village ecosystem is a good example
of economic self-sufficiency in a traditional
agricultural society that practices sound sedentary
agriculture. However, traditional agricultural systems
need to be redeveloped through incremental rather
than quantum change, based on traditional ecological
knowledge; anything drastic may not find acceptance
by the local communities. A few possibilities exist for
redeveloping this system so that the farmer is able to
obtain better returns: (i) mere transfer of technology
from one tribe to another could be helpful. The
Apatani system of farming is one of the most evolved
and highly organized systems of paddy-cum-fish
cultivation; (ii) introduction of early maturing and
improved varieties of paddy would help in obtaining
two or three harvests in a year; (iii) water is a major
constraint outside the monsoon period. Rainwater
harvesting and storage in tanks offers immense
possibilities for irrigation; (iv) integration of modern
scientific knowledge and proven eco-friendly
techniques of conservation and utilization of natural
resources using area specific tools, implements and
agricultural practices as well as scientific
management of cattle and fish. These indigenous
systems can be made more economically viable.
Other important options would be introduction of
agroforestry practices in the systems; agroforestry
acts as a buffer and provides resilience to the system
at the landscape level. Introduction of large
cardamom cultivation in the area would be boon for
the Apatanis because it is a perennial cash crop grown
beneath the forest cover on marginal lands and welladapted agroforestry system. Its cultivation is an
example of how a mountain niche can be exploited
sustainable. Ecological sustainability is even greater
with cardamom when the Himalayan alder (Alnus
nepalensis D. Don) is used as a shade tree. Ability of
the alder tree in enhancing soil fertility has been fully
exploited by the farmers of other northeastern states.
Studies have shown that on an average about 100 to
125 kg N /ha-1 is added to the soil by a welldeveloped alder tree, which is a non-leguminous tree
that fixes large quantities of atmospheric nitrogen
through nodules on the roots.
RAI: PADDY-CUM-FISH CULTIVATION PRACTICES OF NORTH EAST
Acknowledgement
The author is grateful to the Director of the G B
Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and
Development for providing facilities.
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